Coin changer



L. G. STAIGER Oct. 5, 1954 COIN CHANGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 'June 24,1950 mm 0 w 0 m M 6 m 5M M5 L. G. STAIGER Oct. 5, 1954 COIN CHANGER 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 24, 1950 4 4 55 IN VEN TOR.

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L. G. STAIGER Oct. 5, 1954 COIN CHANGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 24 lI INVENTOB. jazz/s faqye'r Y V I Get. 5, 1954 L. e. STAIGER 2,690,828

COIN CHANGER Filed June 24, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1N VEN TOR.

BY Mk 0.1.

Patented Oct. 5, 195 4 COIN CHANGER Louis G. Staiger, Chicago, Ill.,assignor to Clarence E. Threedy, Chicago, 111., as trustee ApplicationJune 24, 1950, Serial No. 170,114

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in coinchangers especially adaptable for use in coin controlled vendingmachines.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character bywhich a coin of a larger denomination than that of the cost of themerchandise to be vended will unlock the vending machine for vendingoperation and return to the operator coins constituting the differencebetween the aforesaid coin of larger denomination and the cost of themerchandise to be vended.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination nd arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a support consisting of a cover platehaving mounted thereon the coin changer embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same taken substantially on line 2--2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts thereof inposition to return four nickels for a deposited twenty-five cent piece;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Fig. 3 but showing theparts thereof in a position to return one five cent piece for adeposited ten cent piece;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Fig. 4 but showing theparts thereof in position to permit operation of an operating shaft bythe deposit of a five cent piece;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken upon line 66 of Fig.2;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially online l'! of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view taken substantially on line 8-8of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the parts thereof indifferent operative positions with respect to each other.

My invention is especially useful and has been designed for use inconnection with vending machines which require the unlocking of anactuating shaft by the deposit of a coin of proper denomination, suchfor example, a five cent piece.

It frequently happens that one desiring to operate such machine does nothave among his coin change a five cent piece. In such case, should theoperator have a ten cent piece or twenty-five cent piece, he may by theuse of my coin changer deposit such piece in the device and unlock thesame for operation. Upon operation of the machine there will be returnedto the operator the difference between the five cent piece and the coindeposited. For example, if the operator deposits a ten cent piece, fivecents will be returned to the operator. If the operator has deposited atwenty-five cent piece then in such case five cents will be taken intothe machine and twenty cents will be returned to the operator. By suchan arrangement it is obvious that the sales of the product vendedthrough the machine will be substantially increased.

To accomplish the several objects of the invention I provide a coinchanger which is adapted to be mounted on a support ID which may consistof the cover plate or a wall of the vending machine with which the coinchanger is to be associated. Such support comprises side plates Hbetween which is arranged a coin separating device [2 of any approvedconstruction whereby coins are separated according to their denominationand delivered to coin receiving slots I3, l4 and i5 hereinafter morefully described. The side walls l6 of the coin separating device l2carry lateral pins I! which engage in notches l8 formed in the sideplates ll with certain of the pins ll latched in their respectivenotches by latch fingers L9.

This coin selector is of an approved and wellknown construction andoperates in the manner such as is disclosed in United States LettersPatent No. 2,292,473.

The slots l3, I4 and 15 are formed in a horizontal plate 20 extendinglaterally with respect to the Wall 2! of the support I0.

On the wall 2| is provided a bearing sleeve 22 through which rotatablyprojects a shaft 23 connected in any suitable manner to the operatingstructure (not shown) of the vending machine. On the outer end portionof this shaft 23 may be placed a suitable hand knob or wheel (not shown)to facilitate manual rotation of the shaft 23.

This shaft adjacent the inner surface of the wall 2| carries a pluralityof laminated plates 24 secured together in any suitable manner toprovide a coin carriage wheel 24' keyed for rotation with the shaft 23.

Certain plates comprising the wheel 2d provide circumferentiallyextending arms 28 provid ing slots 27 disposed concentrically withrespect to the shaft as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Certain of the plates 2Gprovide slots l3, l4 and I5 which. when the wheel 24 is in its normalin- 3 operative position as shown in Fig. I register with the slots I3,14 and i5 respectively to receive coins passing through the latterslots. The slot 13 is of a size to permit a twenty-five cent piece topass therethrough. The slot I4 is of a size to permit a five cent pieceto pass therethrough, while the slot i5 is of a size to permit thepassag therethrough of a ten cent piece.

Confronting edge portions of the plates 24 provide a ratchet assembly 28adapted to engage a finger 29 of a disk 30 pivoted upon a pin 3| carriedby the wall 2! and normally held in contact with the adjacent edge ofthe plate assembly by a spring 32. The arrangement is such that unlessthe shaft with the plates thereon have been rotated through the requiredcycle of rotation to effect vending operation the finger 29 will engagethe teeth 28 and prevent the shaft and the coin wheel thereon to berotated in an opposite direc tion. This arrangement is well-known in theart and is frequently called a full stroke device meaning that it isnecessary for the shaft to make the necessary rotation before it can bereturned to its initial starting position.

The arm 26 of the outermost plate as indicated at 25 provides anabutment which is adapted to engage a stop 34 carried by one branch arm36 of a crank 31. This plate 2:6 also provides a depending stop lug 38which engages a roller 39 carried by the other branch iii of the crank37. This lug 33 is yieldably held in engagement with the roller 39 by aspring one end of which is connected as at 42 to the lug 38 and theopposite end it to the plate it. This spring 4| functions to rotate thecoin wheel 25' in an anti-clockwise direction as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.The arrangement is such that as long as the stop 34 is in the path ofmovement of the abutment 33 the shaft 23 will be locked againstrotation.

The crank 32 is pivotally mounted upon a shaft 44 carried by the wall 2i. On this shaft are pivotally carried independently slidable releasingarms d5, 4t and 4'7. These arms are adapted to engage a horizontal pini8 carried by the branch arm 36. The outer corresponding ends of thearms 45, 4e and i! carry lateral studs 45', 46' and '3'! which engageand ride upon the cylindrical edges 49 of the plates 2d adjacentthereto. When the plates are rotated these studs are adapted to passinto the slots 2'! to allow the coin wheel to make the necessaryrotation to effect operation of the vending machine when the stop 34 hasbeen moved by the movement of the pin 38 by pivotal movement of the arms15, 46 and 41.

The arm 65 has an upwardly extending portion 5a, the outer end of whichis bent substantially U-shaped to provide a depending flange 5|. l hisflange 5! has an elongated slot 52 formed therein.

Projecting into this slot is a pin 53 secured to and carried by aslidable plate 54. This plate 5 is of elongated formation and isprovided with spaced openings 55 normally in registration with openings56 formed in a mounting plate 57 and on which the plate Ed is slidablebetween guide rails 53. The arm H has a lateral extension 59 to which ispivoted as at 60 a link 6|. This link 6% is pivotally connected as at E2to a plate 63 slidably mounted upon the mounting plate 5'5 and providedwith an opening Gil normally in registration with an opening 55 formedin the mounting plate 51. This mounting plate 5? is supported by lateralbrackets 66- formed as an integral part of the side plates I I.

Extending upwardly from the plates 54 and 63 with their open endportions out of registration with the openings 55 and 64, as shown inFig. 6,

are a plurality of coin storag tubes 68. These tubes adjacent theirupper end portions are joined together by a connecting bar 69. The lowerend portions of these tubes are joined together by a base plate 10. Theconnecting bar 69 is latched to the side plates H by pivoted links Hhaving notches 12 which receive the shanks of pin 13. The base plate 10provides slots M which receive the shanks of pins 15 carried by thmounting plate 51. By this arrangement the tubes as a unitary structureare detachably mounted in place with their open end portions in theposition shown in Fig. 6 with respect to the openings 55 and 6A.

To complete the invention an inclined trough 16 is provided beneath theopenings 55- and to receive the coins passing therethrough and to directthe same through an opening 'l'l formed in the bottom portion 18 of thetrough l6 and through which opening I! the coins pass into a returntrough 46 for return to the operator. This return chute 16 may terminateat its outer end into a suitable and conventional return cup locatedoutside of the vending machine.

The operation of the coin changer thus described is asfollows:

If a nickel is directed by the coin selector l2 through the slot I4 suchnickel will lodge into the slot I4 with the edge thereof engaging thestud G8. As the shaft 23 is rotated the nickel will bear on this stud 36and impart pivotal movement to the arm 46. At this arm i6 is pivoted ina clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 9 it will engage the pin 53 andpivot the arm 35 likewise in a clockwise direction to move the stop 34out or blocking position with respect to the abutment 33 thereby topermit complete rotation of the shaft 2" for vending operation purposes.During this rotation of the shaft 23 the roller E l will ride on theedge 35' of the arm 26 to hold the pin 48 in an elevated position. Atthe completion of the rotation of the shaft .23 rotation of such shaftin an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 8 will be efiected bythe spring 4|. During this anti-clockwise rotation of this shaft thestop lug 38 will engage the lateral stud 39 and effect return .of thestop "3'4 to its initial blocking position with respect to the abutment33. The nickel from the slot 14 will at the completion of rotation ofthe shaft in vending machine operation dro into the coin box-or otherreceptacle.

Upon the deposit of a ten cent piece by the coin selector device I? intothe slot 15 the ten cent piece will drop therethrough into the slot 55.Rotation of the shaft will bear the edge of the ten cent piece againstthe stud to pivot the arm #1 upon rotation of the coin wheel. Pivotalmovement of this arm t} will move the stop as from abutting position asin the case when a five cent piece was deposited in the slot M. As thearm 41 is pivoted in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 8 slida'blemovement will be imparted to the plate 63 moving such plate relative tothe mounting plate .61 to the position shown in Fig. 4 from the positionshown in Fig. 3 to dispose the opening 3 3 thereof beneath the open endof the tube 68 adjacent thereto so that the lowermost five cent piececontained in such tube will pass through the opening 64 whereby when theplate 63 returns to its normal position shown in Fig. 2 the nickel thusreceived in the opening 54 will drop through the opening 65 into thereturn trough 16 for return to the operator. In this manner a ten centpiece is received by the machine and a five cent ooin and has returnedto the operator.

Should a twenty-five :cent piece be directed by the coin separatordevice l2 to the slot [3 such twenty-five cent piece will lodge in theslot I3. Upon rotation of the shaft 23 the twenty-five cent piece, as inthe case of the five and ten cent piece, will release the shaft 23 forrotation through the bearing action of the twenty-five cent piece uponthe stud $5. This rotation of the arm 45 by engagement of thetwenty-five cent piece with the stud 45' will by reason of theconnection between this arm 45 and the plate 54 slide the plate 54 fromthe position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3 with the openings55 thereof beneath the open end portions of the adjacent tubes of thetubes '68. The plate 54 is of a thickness such as will permit twosuperimposed nickels to be deposited in each of the openings 55. Whensuch nickels are received from the adjacent tubes, movement of the plate5 3 back to the position shown in Fig. 2 will position, for passagethrough the openings 56 into the return trough it, the four nickels thusreceived from the two tubes of the tubes 58. By this operation atwenty-five cent piece has been received by the machine and four nickelsreturned to the operator,

By the employment of the arrangement herein described a vending machinerequiring for its operation a five cent piece may be operated by thedeposit of a five or ten cent or twenty-five cent piece and whenoperated there will be returned to the operator the difference betweenthe de posited coin and the five cents required for the operation of themachine. For example, in the case of depositing a ten cent piece, a fivecent coin will be returned to the operator. In the case 01 depositing atwenty-five cent piece, four nickels will be returned to the operator.

This arrangement also provides a protective latch for latching theoperating shaft against operation until a proper coin has been depositedin the coin receiving wheel comprising the laminated plates 24.

In describing my invention, I have used for that purpose five, ten andtwenty-five cent coins. It is to be understood that the invention is notto be limited to coins of such denominations.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. Coin controlled apparatus comprising a support, a coin receivingwheel rotatably carried by the support to receive coins inserted intosaid apparatus and having an abutment and a protrusion thereon, andlatch means having a first portion adapted to engage said abutment onsaid wheel to limit rotation thereof, a second portion adapted to bemoved upon rotation of said wheel by a coin in position therein so as toprevent the engagement of said first portion with said abutment, and athird portion engaging said protrusion on said wheel when said wheel isin its normal idle position to hold said latch means against movement,whereby said wheel is prevented from :ioving unless a coin is inposition in said coin receiving wheel.

2. A coin changer comprising a support, a mounting plate carried by thesupport and having coin apertures therein, a. pair of horizontallyspaced plates positioned above said mounting plate and having coinapertures formed therein normally in registration with the apertures ofsaid mounting plate and adapted for independent horizontal movement withrespect to said mounting plate, coin storage tubes carried by saidsupport above said plates and normally out of registration with theapertures of said plates, a coin receiving wheel rotatably carried bythe support below said plates to receive coins inserted into said coinchanger and having an abutment and a protrusion thereon, means forindependently moving said horizontally spaced plates to dispose theapertures thereof out of registration with the apertures of saidmounting plate and into registration with said coin storage tubes, meansactuated by a coin carried by and rotatable with the Wheel for actuatingsaid plate moving means to dispose the apertures of said horizontallyspaced plates out of registration with the apertures of said mountingplate and into registration with said coin storage tubes, latch meanshaving a first portion adapted to engage said abutment on said wheel tolimit rotation thereof, a second portion positioned in the path ofmovement of said coin actuated means and adapted to be moved by saidcoin actuated means so as to prevent the engagement of said firstportion with said abutment, and a third portion engaging said protrusionon said wheel when said wheel is in its normal idle position to holdsaid latch means against movement, whereby said plate moving means andsaid wheel are prevented from moving unless a coin is positioned in saidcoin receiving wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 327,156 Ford Sept. 29, 1885 771,326 Roblyer Oct. 4, 19041,146,921 Chapman July 20, 1915 1,183,522 Bates May 16, 1916 1,268,250Jaeger June 4, 1918 1,665,566 Russell Apr. 10, 1928 1,737,511 MitchellNov. 26, 1929 2,045,206 Sjuve June 23, 1936

